Timer actuator



April 19, 1966 J. B. RIDDLE ETAL TIMER ACTUATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 50, 1962 H I l I l J FIE-.1-

INVENTORS W n 6 U A LL 06 mM DA m V. B

FIE--2- ATTORNEYS April 19, 1966 J, RIDDLE ETAL TIMER ACTUATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 30, 1962 v 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlifllfflt r4I!ll!I!III!!!II!Ill!!!II!Illllllllllllllflllllllllllllllll!lllllllllllllllflh INVENTORS JOHN B. RIDDLE BY ROBERT B. MLAUGHLIN @Aq/rzzl ATTOEN EYS April 19, 1966 R|DDLE ETAL TIMER ACTUATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 50, 1962 INVENTORS JOHN B. RIDDLE BY ROBERT E. MLAUGHL IN F hfizd ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,247,4h3 TIMER ACTUATOR John B. Riddle, 180 Walter Hays Drive, Paio Alto, Calif., and Robert B. McLaughlin, Palo Alto, Calif.; said McLaughlin assignor to said Riddle Filed July 30, 1962, Ser. No. 214,459 9 Claims. (Cl. 307-141) This invention relates to apparatus for remote operation of self-service equipment that utilizes an appliance-type cycle timer to control their operation.

Many coin-operated laundry and dry cleaning stores and other self-service equipments in general usage presently use mechanically actuated coin-slides to initiate their operation. In some of these devices, when the proper amount of coinage 'has been placed in a coin chute, physical movement of the coin slide by the customer is used to rotate the timer shaft from its at rest or off position to the start position. For the remainder of the cycle for which it is designed to govern the various functions of the appliance or equipment, the timer motor is energized through a set of its own contacts. At the end of the desired cycle sequence the shaft, having rotated almost 360", comes to rest at the off position adjacent to the start position, at which time power is removed from the timer motor. In this off position the equipment is then again ready to be activated by insertion of coins and physical movement of the plunger by the next customer.

One of the disadvantages of this type of self-service appliance control is that the monies received for provision of this service are held in an individual coin box located on each unit, necessitating provision of a locked box for each unit. This general arrangement has the further inconvenience that coins must be collected from a number of units by the operator, a time-consuming and costly process. An added disadvantage to an absentee owner is the necessity to provide some means of accounting for the collection of coins and the auditing of service.

While several types of equipment for central collection of money have been developed, all of these known to us contemplate direct electrical initiation of the service cycle. To apply a direct electrical signal to existing manual start timers involves considerable expense in equipment to convert electrical signals into mechanical motion necessary to physically rotate the manual type of cycle timer described above.

A primary object of this invention is inexpensive adaptation of existing mechanical timers for remote electrical control from a central money-receiving device which, through appropriate switching, can control a number of appliances or service mechanisms. Another object of this invention is to provide the means of indicating at the central control which unit has been selected and armed by a physical motion provided by the customer at the unit and, lacking this customer arming action, to provide means of locking out the central controls ability to receive money unless it is in fact connected to operate a unit so armed. Thus, by use of a feedback signal indicating that the custome-r has moved a control at the service unit, the system makes impossible the inadvertent receipt of money and actuation of an empty or undesired unit. A further object of this invention is to simplify the tasks required of the customer. This system does not require him to return to the service unit and physically actuate some mechanism after he has deposited monies for the service desired at the central control. Thus in this system, the customer can at one time load or direct the service unit and manually operate the arming lever or slide. The unit will then be ready for operation by electrical command from the central unit upon receipt of monies. Further, this physical arming of an individual unit will in no way impair or delay the loading and arming of other units under the control of the central money receiver unit. Still a further object of this invention is to make possible the easy adjustment and uniform provision of the required physical motion to actuate the timer through the uniform force provided by the actuation springs cocked by the customers manual effort and through control of the movement of the actuating slide by means of an escapement device.

A further object of this invention is to enable simplified low-voltage control wiring wherein a single connection from the central control unit to each service unit performs a number of functions, namely: (1) indicates at the control unit that the machine is in fact armed; (2) indicates at the control unit that the machine selected is in condition for use; (3) activates the central collection unit to accept monies; (4) upon receipt of proper monies transmits the electrical control signal that initiates the physical act of rota-ting the timer shaft, and (5) connects one and only one service unit to the central control unit so that only one machine can be started at a time.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a timer actuator adapted in accordance with this invention;

'FIG. 2 is a partially schematic view in side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially schematic view of an alternative form of apparatus for use in place of the apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar vto FIGS. 2 and 3 showing another alternative form of apparatus, and

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing the interconnection of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with a central control unit for controlling the operation of a plurality of units like FIG. 1.

In the embodiment of this invention, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an arming slide 10 is mounted on a unit of equipment to be controlled such as an automatic laundry or dry cleaning machine. The slide 10 has one end available externally for actuation by the customer and is provided with an ear 12 positioned to close a suitable contact switch 14 when the slide is moved inwardly, at which time a spring-loaded detent 16 holds it in its forward position. This arming slide may well be, but is not necessarily, a modification of the coin slide found on some types of this equipment. Generally enclosed and located to move in the same plane as the arming slide 10 but below it, a second actuating plunger 18 is incorporated which includes on its forward end a suitable cam surface 20 located .to provide the necessary rotary motion to a roller 22 attached transversely to the timer shaft 23. The second actuating plunger 18 is attached to the arming slide 10 by a spring 24, so positioned that when the arming slide is moved forward the actuating plunger 18 is urged to move forward with sufficient force and movement that it will provide, through the cam surface 20 to the roller 22, the necessary rotary motion to the timer shaft required to move the timer from the Off to the Start position. Located adjacent to the actuating plunger 18 is a low-voltage, low-impedance, spring-loaded solenoid 26 designed to constrain the operating plunger 18 from forward movement until the solenoid 26 is electrically actuated. Thus, the solenoid 26 has a movable core 28 biased by spring 30 into engagement with a latch portion 32 on the plunger 18.

A motion damper is attached to the plunger 18 for the purpose of controlling the forward rate of movement of said actuating plunger 18 so that its forward travel upon release, when urged by the connecting spring, will be uniform and will provide a smooth and controlled rotais mounted in this unit of equipment.

tion to the timer shaft. The motion damper is of the well known type having a piston connected to the plunger 18 by a bracket 36 with the piston 34 received in a cylinder 38 in a frame 46; the cylinder 38 terminates in a metered air escape orifice 42. The ball detent 16 is mounted on the frame 48, and a depressed ear 44 on the plunger 18 moves under the ball detent 16 to release the slide 18 as the plunger reaches the forward limit of its travel. The bracket 36 on the actuating plunger 18 is located to limit its forward travel at a desired end location. When the actuating plunger 18, urged forward by the spring 24 connected to the arming slide, reaches the end of its constrained travel, the ear 44 will free the arming slide previously held forward by the ball detent 16. At that time, an auxiliary spring 46 connected to between the equipment housing and the arming slide moves the arming slide 10 backwards away from the ball detent, readying the complete mechanism for its subsequent cycle. At this time the spring-loaded solenoid will re-engage and constrain the forward movement of the actuating plunger 18.

Referring to the circuit diagram of FIG. 5, a selected one of a plurality of units of equipment to be controlled is indicated by the box 48, and the apparatus of FIG. 1 The unit 48 is connected by a single insulated wire 50 to a central control unit indicated by the box 52; a large number of the units of equipment 48, such as all of the automatic laundry or dry cleaning machines in a store, are connected to the same control unit 52, but only one of these units 48 is indicated in the drawing.

As indicated in FIG. 5, the solenoid 26 and slide actuated switch 14 are connected in series with each other and in series with the switch contacts 54 of the conventional relay 56 which is installed in the unit of equipment 48 and is energized to open its switch contacts 54 when the unit 48 is in use. Thus, the wire 50 is connected to ground at 58 only when the unit of equipment 48 is not in use and the timer actuating mechanism of FIGS. 1 and 2 has been armed by pushing the slide 10 to the posi tion closing switch 14-.

The central control unit 52 includes a manual selector switch 60 by which a customer can select one and only one previously armed unit at a time. Suitable selector switches for this purpose are available on the market, for instance as multi-terminal rotary switches or multi button push button switches provided with lockout mechanism which permit only one button to be depressed at a time. The selector switch provides connection between one terminal of a low voltage DC. power supply 62 and the wire 50 for the selected unit of equipment 48 along two alternative paths indicated at 64 and 66; the second terminal of the DC. power supply 62 is grounded at 68. The path 66 contains a high resistance 70 and the coil of a relay 72, with the value of resistance 70 being sufficiently high that it limits current through the path 66 to a value below the current value necessary to energize the solenoid 26; in this way the relay 72 is energized to close its switch contacts, only when the selector switch 60'is connected to the wire 50 of a previously armed unit of equipment 48 whose in use or do not use switch 54 is closed.

A money receiver unit 74 is mounted on the central control unit 52 and is provided with an electrical lockout 76 which must be energized by an electrical signal to permit the money receiver to operate. The device 76 may be, for instance, a solenoid operated mechanical linkage in a coin receiving mechanism or a relay in the circuit controlling operation of a drive motor in a device for recognizing paper currency. The lockout device 76 is connected across the low voltage power supply 62 through the switch contacts of relay 72 so that the money receiver is capable of operation only when a selected machine is ready for operation and has been previously armed. The money receiver is provided with an output relay 78 which is energized to close its switch contacts 80 after a predetermined amount of money is accepted. The switch contacts 80 of relay 78 are connected to close the circuit along path 64 to connect the power supply 62 to the line 50 of the selected unit of equipment, and the resistance of path 64 is sufficiently low that it delivers a sufficiently high current to solenoid 26 to actuate solenoid 26to release the plunger 18 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

In another embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIG. 3, the operating plunger 18 is replaced by a hinged plate 82 which is likewise connected to the arming push slide 10 in such a manner than when it is in the forward position spring pressure is exerted on the hinged plate 82 to rotate it so that a cam face on the hinged plate 82 will provide the desired rotary motion to the timer shaft cam 22 when it has been released by the restraining solenoid 26. A suitable mechanical interconnection between the slide 10 and the top of the hinged plate 82, similar to the ball detent 16 in FIG. 2, may be employed. The functions achieved by this configuration are the same as those illustrated in the first embodiment, and the method of accomplishing this function is fairly obvious to those skilled in the application of such mechanisms.

Still another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4 employs a rotary cam 84 mounted on a shaft 86 held in a suitable supporting bracket 88, which shaft has attached on one end a coupling 90 connecting with the timer shaft 23 by a suitable clevis arrangement for easy assembly. Connecting the rotary cam 84 and the coupling 98 is a torsional spring 92 arranged so that when push slide 10 is moved to its forward position it engages a roller on cam 84 and urges coupling 90 in the rotary direction required to start the timer into its start position. Coupling 90 is constrained from rotating from the Oil position by the spring-loaded electrically actuated solenoid 26 engaging an adjustable dog 94 on coupling 90. In operation the machine cycle is started by an electrical impulses to solenoid 26 after it has been cocked by actuation of push slide 10. In order to retain the push slide in the forward position a spring-loaded catch 96 mounted on coupling 90 engages with push slide 10 holding it forward until coupling 90 is released by solenoid 26, at which time it is disengaged by rotation of coupling 90, allowing push slide 10 to be returned to its outermost position by return spring 98. A spring-loaded push rod 100 may be incorporated to provide external means of releasing the push slide from its cocked position in case it has inadvertently been cocked for any reason. If desired in practice, constraint may be applied to the rate of rotation of coupling 90 by incorporation of a suitable friction nut illustrated as 102 in FIG. 4, and similar constraint may be provided against reverse rotation of rotary cam 84 with respect to bracket 88.

Thus a third physical configuration is illustrated which may be utilized to achieve the functions of manual arming and electrical release with incorporation of the electrical indication and control features outlined in the first embodiment.

While some specific embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, it is obvious that many modifications of the apparatus disclosed may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a unit of equipment having a mechanically startable cycle control timer, the improved means for starting said timer responsive to an electrical signal which comprises: resilient mounting means including a spring mounted in said unit of equipment and having one end of said resilient mounting means movable with respect to said timer responsive to the tension of said spring to thereby start said timer, manually operable means for tensioning said spring, and electrically releasable latch means for latching said one end of said resilient mounting means against movement responsive to spring tension.

2. In a unit of equipment having a mechanically startable cycle control timer, the improved means for starting said timer responsive to an electrical signal which comprises: spring means mounted in said unit of equipment and having opposite spring ends, an actuating member connected to one of said spring ends for movement through an operating stroke with respect to said timer responsive to the tension of said spring means to thereby start said timer, manually operable means connected to the other of said spring ends for tensioning said spring means, latch means interconnecting said actuating member and said manually operable means for holding said spring means under tension prior to said operating stroke and releasing said manually operable member responsive to said operating stroke, and electrically releasable latch means connected to said actuating member for latching said actuating member against movement through said operating stroke.

3. In a unit of equipment having a timer member which is adapted to be started by movement from a stop position to a start position and a mechanical slide projecting from said equipment and adapted to be moved longitudinally to an actuating position to facilitate starting of said timer, the improved means for starting said timer responsive to the generation of an electrical signal by a control member which comprises: a movable actuating member mounted in said unit of equipment and movable with respect to said timer from a first position to a second position with said actuating member having an operating end engaging said timer in said second position to move said timer from said stop position to said start position, spring means connected between said actuating member and said slide for resiliently urging said actuating member to said second position when said slide is in said actuating position, and electrically releasable latch means latching said actuating member in said first position and electrically connected to said control means to unlatch said actuating member responsive to the generation of said electrical signal.

4. In a unit of equipment having a rotary timer member which is adapted to be started by rotation through a predetermined angle and a mechanical slide projecting from said equipment and adapted to be moved longitudinally to an inward position in said equipment to facilitate starting of said timer responsive to generation of an electrical signal by a control member which comprises: a movable actuating member mounted in said unit of equipment and movable With respect to said timer from a first position to a second position with said actuating member having an operating end engaging said timer in said second position to rotate said timer through said predetermined angle, spring means connected between said actuating member and said slide for resiliently urging said actuating member to said second position when said slide is in said inward position, electrically releasable latch means latching said actuating member in said first position and electrically connected to said control means to unlatch said actuating member responsive to the generation of said electrical signal, and latch means interconmeeting said slide and said actuating member for holding said slide in said inward position when said actuating member is not in said second position.

5. An equipment installation comprising: a plurality of units of equipment to be controlled with each of said units having electrical starter means for starting said unit responsive to an electrical starting signal exceeding a predetermined value With said electrical starter means being capable of conducting a checking signal of magnitude below said predetermined magnitude only when said unit of equipment is ready to be started; and a central control unit having selector switch means connected to said starting means of all of said units of equipment for selecting one of said units to be started, and electrical control means having money receiving means for directing said starting signal to said selected starting means through 6 said selector switch means responsive to the receipt of money and checking means for directing said checking signal to said selected starting means through said selector switch means and alerting the attention of an operator at the control unit when said checking signal is not being conducted by said selected starting means.

6. The equipment installation of claim 5 in which said checking means is connected to said money receiving means for thus altering the operators attention by preventing said money receiving means from receiving money.

7. An equipment installation comprising:

(A) a plurality of units of equipment to be controlled with each of said units having connected in series (1) electrical starter means for starting said unit responsive to an electrical signal exceeding a predetermined magnitude, and

(2) switch means adapted to be closed only when said unit is ready to be started; and

(B) a central control unit having (1) selector switch means connected to said starting means of all of said units for selecting the one of said units to be started, and

(2) electrical control means for directing an electrical signal through said selector switch means to the selected starter means, said electrical control means having (1) money receiving means for directing to said selected starter means an electrical signal exceeding said predetermined magnitude,

(2) check signal means for directing to said selected starter means a checking electrical signal smaller than said predetermined magnitude, and

(3) lockout means interconnecting said money receiving means and said check signal means for preventing operation of said money receiving means when said check signal means is not conducting said check signal.

8. The installation of claim 7 in which each of said units of equipment has a mechanically startable cycle control timer, manual arming means connected to said timer and starter means for urging said timer to be started responsive to operation of said electrical starter means, and said switch means comprises first and second switches electrically connected in series with said starter means with said first switch being connected to said manually arming means to be closed responsive to arming of said timer and with said second switch being connected to said timer to be closed only when said timer is in condition to be started.

9. An equipment installation comprising:

(A) a plurality of units of equipment to be controlled with each of said units having connected in series (1) a solenoid for starting said unit when an electrical signal exceeding a predetermined volt age is conducted by said solenoid,

(2) switch means adapted to be closed only when said unit is ready to be started, and

(B) a central control unit having 1) a selector switch having a plurality of terminals and a switch arm adapted to be connected to each of said terminals alternatively with each of said terminals connected to the solenoid of one of said units of equipment, and

(2) electrical control means for directing an electrical signal through said selector switch means to the selected solenoid, and said electrical control means having (a) check signal means including relay coil and a resistor connecting said switch arm of said selector switch to a power source through said resistor for conducting to the selected solenoid a checking signal having a voltage below said predetermined voltage, (b) money receiving means having a switch in parallel with said resistor adapted to connect said switch arm of said selector switch to a power source responsive to the receipt of money, and (c) lockout means interconnecting said money receiving means and said check signal means for preventing operation of said money receiving means when said check signal means is not conducting said check signal, said lockout means including said relay coil and a pair of relay switch contacts adapted to be closed by an electrical sig- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,910,557 10/1959 Salzer et al 20074 2,996,585 8/1961 Lehde 20039 3,046,803 7/1962 Bowman 200-38 LLOYD MCCOLLUM, Primary Examiner.

W. M. SHOOP, Assistant Examiner. 

4. IN A UNIT OF EQUIPMENT HAVING A ROTARY TIMER MEMBER WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE STARTED BY ROTATION THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE AND A MECHANICAL SLIDE PROJECTING FROM SAID EQUIPMENT AND ADAPTED TO BE MOVED LONGITUDINALLY TO AN INWARD POSITION IN SAID EQUIPMENT TO FACILITATE STARTING OF SAID TIMER RESPONSIVE TO GENERATION OF AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL BY A CONTROL MEMBER WHICH COMPRISES: A MOVABLE ACTUATING MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID UNIT OF EQUIPMENT AND MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID TIMER FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION WITH SAID ACTUATING MEMBER HAVING AN OPERATING END ENGAGING SAID TIMER IN SAID SECOND POSITION TO ROTATE SAID TIMER THROUGH SAID PREDETERMINED ANGLE, SPRING MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ACTUATING MEMBER AND SAID SLIDE FOR RESILIENTLY URGING SAID ACTUATING MEMBER TO SAID SECOND POSITION WHEN SAID SLIDE IS IN SAID INWARD POSITION, ELECTRICALLY RELEASABLE LATCH MEANS LATCHING SAID ACTUATING MEMBER IN SAID FIRST POSITION AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL MEANS TO UNLATCH SAID ACTUATING MEMBER RESPONSIVE TO THE GENERATION OF SAID ELECTRICAL SIGNAL, AND LATCH MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SLIDE AND SAID ACTUATING MEMBER FOR HOLDING SAID SLIDE IN SAID INWARD POSITION WHEN SAID ACTUATING MEMBER IS NOT IN SAID SECOND POSITION. 